Polysilicate connectivity

Another route for the production of materials involves the reaction of hydrolysis-condensation of metal alkoxides with water. We study here the important case of amorphous silica synthesis. In this case [38,39,44], silicic acid is first produced by the hydrolysis of a silicon alkoxide, formally a silicic acid ether. The silicic acids consequently formed can either undergo self-condensation, or condensation with the alkoxide. The global reaction continues as a condensation polymerization to form high molecular weight polysilicates. These polysilicates then connect together to form a network, whose pores are filled with solvent molecules, that is, a gel is formed [45],... 

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